THE COMPANY

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is one of the largest insurance organizations in North America, covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. Recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s top employers, the WSIB plays a vital role in Ontario’s workforce ecosystem by supporting individuals in their recovery and return to work after workplace injuries or illnesses, and by helping businesses maintain safe and productive work environments.

Guided by the core values of accountability, collaboration, empathy, and integrity, our workforce of over 4500 people contributes to a culture that prioritizes diversity, inclusion and belonging that helps the injured workers of Ontario return to work better, easier and faster.

The WSIB operates under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA). Its core mandate is to:

• Administer Ontario’s no-fault workplace insurance for employers and workers.
• Promote workplace health and safety.
• Facilitate return-to-work programs for injured workers.
• Provide compensation and support services to workers who are injured or become ill because of their work.

Some of the current key priorities of the WSIB include:

• Improving customer service for both injured workers and employers.
• Modernizing operations, including digital transformation and streamlining claims processing.
• Enhancing recognition of occupational diseases.
• Real estate optimization, including reducing the agency’s downtown Toronto footprint.
• Financial sustainability and ensuring the long-term viability of the insurance fund.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The WSIB is undergoing a significant transformation to modernize its operations, improve service delivery, and foster a culture of innovation and accountability. The organization is committed to delivering private-sector outcomes within a public-sector framework, with a strong focus on operational excellence, employee engagement, and client-centric service.

The Vice-President, Return-to-Work (VP RTW) is a newly created executive leadership role that will provide strategic oversight and operational leadership to the return-to-work function at WSIB. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the VP RTW will join the Operations senior leadership team and assume full accountability for a function that includes approximately 265 front-line bargaining unit staff, 30 managers, and 4 directors.

This role is being introduced as part of a broader optimization of the Operations operating model aimed at streamlining formal reporting relationships, improving decision-making speed and clarity, and enhancing the function’s ability to innovate and adapt. The VP RTW will lead the transition to a new matrix structure and centralize oversight of the return-to-work function.

The successful candidate will be a transformational leader with the ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and drive cultural and operational change, while improving processes and removing barriers within the function. Bringing a fresh perspective and innovative mindsent to customer-centric service delivery, they will be responsible for aligning the function with WSIB’s broader strategic goals, improving business outcomes in both return-to-work and claims management, and strengthening employee engagement across a highly tenured bargaining unit workforce.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership & Transformation

• Lead the realignment of the return-to-work function under a new matrix structure.
• Assess the current state and develop a clear, actionable plan to improve operational efficiency, service delivery, and employee engagement.
• Embed flexibility to accommodate the diverse needs of different claim types while driving consistency and alignment across the function, in close partnership and consultation with the Operations Senior Leadership team.

2. Operational Oversight

• Provide executive leadership to a team of 4 directors, 30 managers, and 265 front-line bargaining unit staff.
• Oversee the transition from a decentralized model to a centralized structure with clear accountability and streamlined decision-making.
• Ensure alignment with operational leaders overseeing case management functions.

3. Culture & Engagement

• Rebuild trust and strengthen relationships within a function impacted by the organization’s first-ever labour disruption.
• Address employee pain points and foster a more collaborative, engaged, and future-focused culture.
• Support leadership development and succession planning within a team that has traditionally advanced from front-line roles.

4. Innovation & Modernization

• Drive modernization of operations, integrating technology to enhance service delivery while maintaining a human-centered approach.
• Promote strategic agility, adaptive thinking, and innovation within a function historically shaped by technical expertise and tenure.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate effectively across functions and levels within WSIB and with external stakeholders.
• Influence change through empathy, integrity, and political acuity.
• Lead through influence rather than authority to promote shared ownership of outcomes.

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Strategic Transformation Leadership: Experience leading large teams through strategic transformation and cultural change initiatives.
• Operational Excellence: Proven ability to modernize operations and integrate technology to improve service delivery.
• Relationship Building: Strong ability to build trust and collaborate across complex, matrixed organizations.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Expertise: Certified Disability Management Professional. Strong technical knowledge of vocational rehabilitation, case/claims management, adjudication, or health-related fields is an asset.
• Unionized Environment Experience: Experience working in or with unionized environments is considered an asset.
• Private Sector Experience: Executive-level leadership experience within an insurance agency (e.g., Manulife, Desjardins, Sunlife) is essential.

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES

• High emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and humility.
• Ability to lead with empathy and integrity while holding teams accountable.
• Skilled at navigating and shaping organizational culture.
• Resilient and collaborative leadership style.
• Ability to influence diverse leadership teams and foster alignment.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Lisa Knight, Managing Partner

lisa.knight@lhhknightsbridge.com

416 928 4565

Janice Kussner, Partner

janice.kussner@lhhknightsbridge.com

416 640 4313

Ed Perkovic, VP, Search Delivery

ed.perkovic@lhhknightsbridge.com

416 640 4311